rather than cowardice being the
incentive. Another trouble was the theft of supplies.

As we advanced down the river signs of small bands of Indians became
numerous; scarcely a scout returned without reporting some. I saw nothing
of Cousin until the sixth of October, and as we were finishing an
eight-mile march through long defiles and across small runs and were
entering the bottom which extends for four miles to the Ohio. The first
that I knew he was with us was when he walked at my side and greeted:

"There's goin' to be a screamin' big fight."

He offered no explanation of his absence and I asked him nothing. It had
required five weeks to march eleven hundred men one hundred and sixty
miles and to convey the necessary supplies the same distance.

As we scouts in the lead entered the bottom Cousin called my attention to
the high-water marks on the trees. Some of these measured ten feet. The
Point itself is high. From it we had a wide view of the Ohio and Kanawha,
up- and down-stream. It was Cousin who discovered a writing made fast to a
tree, calling attention to a paper concealed in the hollow at the base of
the tree. We fished it out and found it was addressed to Colonel Lewis.
Cousin and I took it to him. Before opening it, he gave Cousin a shrewd
glance and remarked:

"I am glad to see you back, young man."

"If I've read the signs right I 'low I'm glad to git back," was the grave
reply.

The letter was from Governor Dunmore, and he wrote to complain because our
colonel had not joined him at the Little Kanawha. He now informed our
commander he had dropped down to the mouth of the Big Hockhocking, and we
were expected to join him there. After frowning over the communication,
Colonel Lewis read it aloud to some of his officers and expressed himself
very forcefully. It was soon camp gossip, and every man was free to
discuss it.

Much anger was expressed against Governor Dunmore. And it did seem absurd
to ask our army to move up the Ohio some sixty miles when such a tedious
maneuver would lead us farther from the Indian towns than we were while at
the Point. Had the order been given for the army to go to the Hockhocking
there would have been many desertions.

I learned later that the letter was brought to the Point by Simon Kenton
and Simon Girty, who with Michael Cresap were serving as scouts with
Dunmore. While the camp was busily criticizing the governor our scouts
from the Elk came in and reported seein